


This Time, Maybe.

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-09-30
Updated: 2006-09-30
Packaged: 2019-01-19 13:56:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 849
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12411618
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: It's snowing and Lily is outside.  Basically, James joins her and the two have a lovely chat. short, sweet, and rather fluffy =)





	This Time, Maybe.

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

_Can we climb this mountain ,_

  
_I don't know_

  
_Higher now than ever before_

  
_I know we can make it if we take it slow_

  
_Let's take it easy_

  
_Easy now, watch it go_

The Killers, "When You Were Young"

 ~

 

“It’s snowing, Lily.”

            She opened her eyes, surprised to find that they had a thin layer of melting snow building up on them.  She sniffed, taking in a whiff of the crisp, early December air.

            ‘Why yes, I suppose it is,” she replied, very matter-of-factly.  After all, that was her manner.  Composed.  Cool.  Collected.

            Even when she lay outside in the middle of the first snow without so much as a sweater.  It was very out of character for her; so much so that he almost didn’t believe it was her when he had first spotted her.  But there was no denying that hair.

            He had seen her from the common rooms, lying very still.  He thought she must be very cold.

            It was, after all, the beginning of December, and with the lake so close by, the grounds surrounding Hogwarts were about ten degrees colder than anywhere else.

            “What are you doing out here?”  His voice was even.  He already knew the real answer to that question.  He also already knew the fake answer she was about to give him.

            “I’m enjoying-“

            “Nature,” he finished, rolling his eyes.

            “Well aren’t you just the little mind-reader tonight, James Potter,” she said, knowing very well that she sounded condescending.

            She didn’t care.

            “We both know that’s not the real answer, Lily,” James said, raking a hand through his damp hair.

            “How do you know?” she asked, almost frustrated.

            “Because I know things.”

            She sighed.

            “I’m not really out here to enjoy nature, James,” She said, so softly it was barely audible.

            But he had heard.  He always heard.  And wordlessly, he nodded, allowing his courage to overcome him, and then plopped down on the grass next to her, lying down to look at the stars.

            It was a very impressive sight.  Stars shining, snow falling, Lily lying, so still, he almost thought she was sleeping.

            Almost.

            “What are you doing out here?” he asked again.

            “I’m scared, James,” she said, this time truthfully.

            “Of what?”

            “You.”

            “Me?  Lily, that’s absurd-“

            “Not so much.  James, let me ask you something.  Why are you interested in me?  Hmm?  A girl like Sara falls for you, and we both know that Sara can give you everything any other guy would be dying to get, but you keep wasting time chasing after me.  How does that work?”

            He was silent for a while, considering what to say next.  She had spoken the truth.  When the school’s resident whore was perusing you, it was pretty difficult just to walk away.  And maybe, a couple of months ago, he would have jumped for this newfound possibility.

            But he knew now, without a shadow of a doubt, that was no longer the case.

            “Because this time, maybe, the good guys should win,” he answered finally, sighing as he did so.

            “Pardon?” she asked, ever so softly.

            “You’re the good girl, Lily.  And good girls always get overlooked when they’re young, ‘cause the good guys want to have fun with the bad girls.  And I’m a good guy.  But because all the other decent blokes are out canoodling with girls like Sara, good girls group us all together, thinking we’re all the same.  Maybe just this once, the good girl and good guy can win, right here, right now.”

            It was her turn to consider the weight of his answer.

            Slowly, she nodded, but because she knew he couldn’t see her, she answered him.

            “I understand.”

            “Good,” he replied, smiling slightly.  “Are you still scared?”

            “Of you?”

            “Yeah, of me.  Of this.  Of maybe letting go, finally.”

            “Maybe a bit.”

            “Anything I can do to help qualm that fear?” he said, smirking a bit, but nevertheless praying that this time it would happen.  Because he had heard she had “fallen for him, but that old habits died hard.  That she wasn’t quite ready to let go.”

            So he was silent, praying that if there really was a god, he’d let it happen.  She would finaly give in, and they could start their happily-ever-after.

            “Maybe,” she said, smiling as well.  She sat up.

            He sat up.  “What can I do, Lily?”

            Her eyes twinkled.  God, she was beautiful.

            He could almost read her mind.

            Almost.

            “You could kiss me,” she said solemnly.  “Kiss me, but promise you won’t let me down, James.  All right?  Just please don’t let me down.”

            And that was that.

            He nodded, cheeks slightly warm, and bending his head toward hers, he closed the gap between their lips, allowing himself to get lost in the notion that this was real.

            He was kissing Lily Evans.

            Finally.

            And when they finally broke apart, neither one could really hide their idiotic grins.

            She giggled, but her face was somber.  “James, I mean it.  Don’t make me regret this.”

            “I won’t.  Not now, not ever.”

 

            And he didn’t.

 

**_Fin._ **

 


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